Best Monero Wallets in 2026

Short answer: For a phone, Cake Wallet is the usual pick; for a desktop, Feather; for the largest balances and your own node, the official Monero GUI. Monerujo is the Android wallet with the best hardware-wallet support, Stack Wallet suits people holding XMR alongside other coins, and a Ledger or Trezor paired with the GUI keeps the keys off the computer entirely.

All of these are self-custodial and open source, and all of them use the same 25-word seed standard, so a seed created in one can be restored in another. The differences are in the interface, the default node, and hardware support.

Monero wallet comparison

There are several Monero wallets to choose from, each offering different platform support, node options, hardware-wallet compatibility, and features.

• Cake Wallet is available on iOS, Android, and desktop platforms. It supports optional use of your own node and works with Ledger hardware wallets. Notable features include a built-in Tor option and support for multiple cryptocurrencies.
• Feather is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It supports optional use of your own node and is compatible with both Ledger and Trezor hardware wallets. As a light client, it opens quickly and is well suited for users who want a lightweight desktop wallet.
• Monero GUI is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It supports running your own full or pruned node and works with Ledger and Trezor. It is considered the reference Monero wallet and provides extensive control over your own node.
• Monero CLI is available on Windows, macOS, and Linux and supports running your own node. It is compatible with Ledger and Trezor and is particularly useful for scripting, servers, and cold signing.
• Monerujo is available on Android and supports optional use of your own node. It works with Ledger hardware wallets and is a long-running Android wallet with a built-in node picker.
• Stack Wallet is available on iOS, Android, and desktop platforms. It supports optional use of your own node but does not currently support hardware wallets. Its main advantage is the ability to hold XMR alongside BTC and other cryptocurrencies.

Which wallet is best for a phone?

Cake Wallet. It creates a Monero wallet in under a minute, connects to a remote node by default, lets you point it at your own node later, and includes a Tor option for the connection. It also holds other coins, which is convenient and slightly less focused than a Monero-only wallet. Monerujo is the alternative on Android, and it has supported Ledger devices for longer than most mobile wallets.

Which wallet is best for a desktop?

Feather for everyday use, the official GUI for everything else. Feather is a light client: it starts instantly, uses a remote node unless told otherwise, and has sensible extras such as coin control and a built-in transaction proof tool. The GUI is heavier and slower to start, but it is the reference implementation, it can run and manage a full node, and it is the one to use when the amount involved makes the extra care worth it.

What about hardware wallets?

Ledger and Trezor both work with Monero, but not through their own desktop apps: you pair the device with the Monero GUI, Feather or Monerujo, and the wallet software talks to the device while the keys stay on it. That means the setup is a two-step affair and firmware support changes over time, so check the current state on the device maker's site before buying one specifically for XMR.

• Ledger Nano S Plus and Nano X. Supported by the Monero GUI, Feather, Cake Wallet and Monerujo.
• Trezor Model T and Safe series. Supported by the Monero GUI and Feather; check firmware notes for the exact model.
• Cold signing without hardware. The CLI and GUI also support an offline wallet plus a view-only wallet online, which gives most of the same benefit with an old laptop instead of a device.

Which wallet is the most private?

The wallet software matters less than the node it talks to. Every wallet here hides amounts, senders and receivers on-chain, because that is a property of Monero rather than of the app. What differs is who sees your IP asking for blocks: a remote node operator does, your own node does not. The Monero GUI running a local node is the most private setup, and Cake Wallet or Feather over Tor with a trusted remote node is a reasonable middle ground.

What should you avoid?

• Wallets that hold your seed for you. If a service can restore your Monero from an email address, it holds the keys, and that is a custodial account rather than a wallet.
• Browser extensions claiming Monero support. Monero has no widely used extension wallet; treat one that appears in search ads as a phishing attempt until proven otherwise.
• Downloads from anywhere but the project site. Fake wallet builds are the most common way people lose XMR. Get Feather from featherwallet.org, Cake from cakewallet.com, the GUI from getmonero.org.

FAQ

Can I move my XMR between these wallets?

Yes, in two ways. You can send the coins as an ordinary transaction from one wallet to the other, or you can restore the same 25-word seed in the new wallet, which reproduces the same addresses and balance. Restoring a seed does not move anything on-chain, so there is no fee and no waiting for confirmations.

Do any of these wallets ask for KYC?

No. They are wallets, not services: you generate keys locally and nothing is registered anywhere. KYC only appears if you use a third-party buy or swap feature inside a wallet that routes through a provider requiring it.

Which wallet should I use for a large balance?

The official GUI with your own node, and ideally a hardware wallet or a cold-signing setup. It is the slowest to set up and the least convenient day to day, which is a fair trade when the alternative is trusting a phone app with the whole position.

How do I get XMR into any of them?

Paste the receive address into a swap. On Swapuz you can swap USDT to XMR or swap BTC to XMR without registration, with the 0.8% service fee and the network fee shown before you confirm. Most swaps complete in 5 to 30 minutes.

Read Next on the Swapuz Blog

• How to Choose the Right Crypto Wallet
• Why XMR Still Matters for Privacy-Focused Swaps
• Is Monero Legal in 2026

Last updated: September 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not financial advice. Wallet support and firmware compatibility change over time; check the project's own documentation before you rely on it.